Chapter - 46

                                    

                                          
Love is a decision; it's a judgement; it's a promise. If love were only a feeling, there would be no basis for the promise to love each other forever. A feeling comes and it may go. How can I judge that it will stay forever, when my act doesn't involve judgement and decision.
~ Erich Fromm.
                          
......
                          
Akira
                          
"How are you Akira?" Grandma's voice is comforting.
                          
I then realise how much I really miss it; miss the way she'd take me in her arms at the end of the day and how, despite every hardship, she'd try to find the positive aspect in every situations. I realise how much I truly miss my grandmother. 
                          
"I'm fine grandma. How are you?" I ask back, knowing her so well I know that she won't tell me truth until I force it out.
                          
Her snorting laugh is enough to relax me, "I'm fit enough to race you, young lady. Don't think any less of me just because I'm old."
                          
"I'm glad you are well grandmother. I have something to tell you." I try to keep my voice gentle when I come to the main point of this conversation.
                          
"What is it?" She sounds suspicious just as I expect her to be.
                          
"I met a boy-" I don't get to complete my sentence.
                          
"Tell me you are lying!" She demands. She doesn't even want to hear anything about this.
                          
But I can't do that.
                          
"No, I'm not lying. He is good to me, grandma and I love him." My voice is soft but firm.
                          
"You can't love anyone in this short span of time, Akira! You are forgetting why I sent you there so let me remind you that it is because of your studies and your dreams." She now sounds harsh.
                          
"I know that but-"
                          
"No! You listen to me, you are going to cut all your ties with that boy and forget all about this nuisance. Then you will focus on your classes and your grades. You her me?"
                          
I knew this wasn't going to be good but removing Romero from life?
                          
Could I ever do that?
                          
I don't think so. 
                          
Because it'd be like removing beats from my heart and I don't think its humanly possible.
                          
"I can't do that. I love him and it's impossible for me to not love him. You need to accept it and I promise that I'm not compromising my dreams. It still is my priority." I try to make her understand though I know it's as easy as to make a wall talk. She'll will understand and accept this whenever she wants too, not because I say so. Elizabeth Ray is mainly known for two things, her strong will power and her stubbornness.
                          
She scoffs, "I am not going to accept anything and if you can't listen to me than there is nothing left for me to say." Her tone is final.
                          
I take a breath to subside the rising agitation, "Alright grandma, I'll talk to you later. Take care of yourself."
                          
I hear her furious huff before she ends the call without a response.
                          
Straightening from my sitting position on bed, I walk over the sliding door. Opening it I step out in the balcony and reach toward the railing. Twisting my head slightly up and I stare at the sky as so many questions begin to come alive.